Veronika Kudermetova vs. Aryna Sabalenka 1/13/21 - WTA Abu Dhabi, Uae Women Singles Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 01/12/2021 at 9:41 AM ET
In the final of the 2020 WTA Abu Dhabi Open in the UAE, Aryna Sabalenka is set to play against Veronika Kudermetova from Russia.
Veronika Kudermetova won her previous match in straight sets. It was a close match with Veronika Kudermetova winning the opening set via a tiebreaker but the Russian was comfortably too strong for her opponent during the second set. During the victory, Veronika Kudermetova impressed with her receiving as she won approximately 50% of her receiving points which allowed her to break her opponent’s serve on 5 occasions. It has been a strong tournament for Veronika Kudermetova as she has already defeated Elina Svitolina. The Russian must continue this form if she wishes to win the title.
On the other side of the coin, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Maria Sakkari in straight sets in the semifinals. It was a comfortable win for Sabalenka as she won 89% of her service games and 4 return games. Sabalenka is the number 4 seed and she has looked dominant throughout this tournament. With the Australian Open not far away, Aryna Sabalenka will be determined to win this title and take some momentum to Melbourne. Sabalenka is in good form and that will make her very tough to beat.
Veronika Kudermetova and Aryna Sabalenka have played each other once in the past. The match was played in 2015 in Turkey where Aryna Sabalenka won in straight sets. These two players have faced each other numerous times in doubles tennis with the most recent meeting taking place in March 2020.
Taking everything into consideration, I am going to pick Aryna Sabalenka to win this match. Sabalenka is the stronger player and she has the momentum heading into this match. I am expecting Veronika Kudermetova to fight hard but I don’t see the Russian having enough to challenge Sabalenka. Aryna Sabalenka to win this match and the Abu Dhabi Open.
